Authors: Horst Fr Schröder Wilhelm Gebhardt Mario Thevis
Publish Date: 2010/07/21
Volume: 398, Issue: 3, Pages: 1207-1229
Abstract
Municipal wastewater has been examined for steroids β2agonists stimulants diuretics and phosphodiesterase type V inhibitors PDE type V inhibitors which are “dualusedrugs” applied either as anabolic doping and lifestyle drugs or for treatment of diverse diseases To identify their origin fitness centre discharges under suspicion of being point sources and sewagetreatment plant feed and effluents were sampled and concentrations determined Sensitive and selective methods for determination and quantification based on solidphase extraction SPE followed by highperformance liquid chromatography–high resolution mass and tandem mass spectrometry HPLC–HRMS and HPLC–MS–MS were developed and established for analysis of these compounds in wastewater and to assess their effect on the environment The methods developed enabled quantification at trace concentrations limit of quantification LOQ 5 ng L−1 Of the steroids and stimulants under investigation testosterone methyltestosterone and boldenone or ephedrine amphetamine and MDMA 34methylendioxyNmethylamphetamine were observed at up to 5 μg L−1 ephedrine Of the β2agonists salbutamol only and of the diuretics furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide were confirmed in the extracts Quite high concentrations of the PDE type V inhibitors sildenafil tadalafil and vardenafil and their metabolites were confirmed in fitness centre discharges sildenafil 1945 ng L−1 whereas their concentrations in municipal wastewater did not exceed 35 ng L−1 This study identified anabolic and doping drugs in wastewater for the first time Results obtained from wastewater treatment plant effluents proved that these “dualusedrugs” with the exception of hydrochlorothiazide were mostly eliminated
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